


Avatar, Book One: Ozai Turns Out To Be More Terrible Than We Thought

by EpoxyMiner



Series: wow! ozai sure is a dick. but what else is new? [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Iroh (Avatar) loves Tea, M/M, No i do not, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Ursa (Avatar) is a Good Parent, War, but it happens pretty early, do i have any idea what I'm doing?, just the general mood while writing this, laughs manaically
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:34:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25655227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EpoxyMiner/pseuds/EpoxyMiner
Summary: When Ozai confronted Azulon with his request to revoke Iroh's birthright, Azulon is furious. Only this time, he words his demand slightly differently: Instead of killing his firstborn, he is to kill his heirs. Azula and Zuko both overhear this, and they know exactly how far their father will go to get what he wants. They're scared. Where will they go from there?
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Azula & Iroh (Avatar), Azula & Katara & Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Azula & Katara (Avatar), Azula & Ursa & Zuko (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Hakoda/Kya (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: wow! ozai sure is a dick. but what else is new? [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1860100
Comments: 20
Kudos: 195





	1. Beginings

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all! So this was inspired by two different tumblr posts, but I can't find them right now. Some of you may know the ones I'm talking about, and one is significantly more obvious than the other, but I digress. Anyway, once I find them, I'll add the links in. Hope y'all enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The start of it all.

“Prince Ozai,” Azulon said, “why are you wasting my time with this pomp? Just tell me what you want!” He glares at his son, then closes his eyes and waves his hand. “Everyone else, go.” 

Ursa leaves the room with her children following behind her. At the last second, Azula grabs Zuko’s hand and pulls him behind the curtains by the door.

“What are you-“

“Shh!”

They peek out from behind the curtains as Ozai begins to speak. “Father, you must have realized as I have that with Lu Ten gone, Iroh’s bloodline has ended.” His voice is no less dangerous than a knife concealed by silk cloth. Both children shiver in fear, though they would deny it later. “After his son’s death, my brother abandoned the siege at Ba Sing Se, and who knows when he will return home?” Ozai raises his head. “But I am here, father, and my children are alive.”

Azulon had not dropped his glare throughout Ozai’s mini speech. “Say what it is you want,” he said with barely constrained rage.

“Father, revoke Iroh’s birthright.” He walks forward, as if to show he makes the statement in earnest. Then he kneels and says, “I am your humble servant, here to serve you and our nation! Use me,”

He might have said more, but Azulon cut him off, standing abruptly. “You dare suggest I betray Iroh?! My first born? Directly after the demise of his only beloved son?!” The flames in front of the throne begin to rise in his anger. “I think Iroh has suffered enough. But you, your punishment has scarcely begun!” At that, the flames jump higher, and Zuko falls backward. But, before he could go anywhere, Azula grabbed him.

“You must know the pain of losing your heirs, by sacrificing your own. Only then will I even think about revoking Iroh’s birthright.”

Ozai bows his head, the perfect image of an obedient son save for the evil smirk on his face. “As you wish, father.” 

The children stand stock-still as what Azulon had said sank in. Zuko looks at Azula, and - oh. He’s never known her to show any fear before, let alone panic, and so for one moment his own fear washes away. He grabs her hand and runs, pulling her with him.

They run all the way to his room. There, they lean against the door, breathing hard, before stumbling towards Zuko’s bed, collapsing on it. He looks at his sister again, and he sees her trembling ever so slightly. The shaking of her hand that was still clasped in his confirms it.

He stares at her, uncomprehending for a moment. This is Azula, the little girl who terrorized him day in and day out. This is Azula, who shot fire at a supposed “friend’s” head. Azula doesn’t show fear, she instills fear.

But he gazes at her and remembers. This is also Azula, the little girl whom he had carried on his shoulders as they raided the kitchen late at night. This is Azula, who had tossed bread to the turtleducks with him when she was barely walking. This is Azula, _his little sister._

Something inside him softens, and he pulls her to his chest. She pushes at him weakly, but he holds her there, putting his head on top of hers. She melts a second later, her arms circling his waist. He chooses not to acknowledge the wet spot on his shoulder where her face is resting.

“Father won’t kill us,” Zuko murmurs. “I’ll do everything I can to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Azula sniffles slightly. “Okay,” she whispers into his shoulder. Zuko smiles at her.

“Come on, let’s go to bed,” he says quietly. He pulls away slightly and tugs at her hand. She follows willingly, and the two of them curl up together on Zuko’s bed. 

Since that night, there was a slight change in their dynamic. The most obvious one was that you could often find one of them with the other, whereas before, Zuko often stayed with his mother and avoided Azula. She still acted as if she were the superior sibling, perhaps as a façade to hide how scared she truly was, but now she did so while feeding the turtleducks with Zuko. She spent more time with her mother, complaining rather loudly about how she had better things to do but not moving an inch, and one servant could have sworn they heard Zuko quietly reprimand Azula after she had treated them terribly. 

Ursa could not have been more happy with this development. Her children were getting along, and Azula was being nicer, however imperceptible it was to others. She had no idea what could have facilitated this change, but she decided to take it as a blessing.

Two weeks later, Iroh arrives at the palace. Neither child has let their guard down yet, as both knew that their father would not back down from this, and they had not told anybody, as they didn’t want word to get back to their father. But they are excited to see their uncle come home to them, and for one moment, they allow themselves to relax. They spend the day with him, telling him about how Azula shot an apple off of Mai’s head and Zuko had accidentally tackled her into the fountain. Zuko tells it himself, Azula jumping in from time to time. He’s not sure what changed, but now he remembers it as one of his favorite times spent with his sister. Iroh laughs a deep belly laugh, the first one since Lu Ten died, and the children grin in triumph.

That night, they sleep in Zuko’s bed again, but this time totally by accident. They had been talking with Uncle in Zuko’s room, and Azula had fallen asleep first, Zuko following not long after. Iroh gazed at them fondly before tucking them in and leaving.

Several hours later, Zuko jolts awake, sitting bolt upright in his bed. The sudden movement jars Azula, and she sits up beside him, rubbing her eyes.

“What’s wrong, Zuzu? Go back to-“ She cuts off at the look on his face.

“I can’t explain it,” he begins, staring at the door with wide eyes, “but I just _know_ that father’s coming right now.”

Azula's wide awake at that, all traces of drowsiness gone. Several days ago, in the courtyard, they had promised that they would run should their father try to attack them. They both knew exactly how far he was willing to go to get what he wanted, and they knew he would not stop until they were dead. Running was the only option. “We have to go, then!” she whisper-shouts. Zuko nods. Together, they run out the door.

Zuko had been right. Ozai was just down the hallway, making his way towards Zuko’s room. He had not yet seen them, for he was looking the other way, but they could already feel the heat of his flames. They ran in the opposite direction.

Just before they turned the corner, Ozai spotted them. He ran after them with that same evil smirk on his face, only this time, they could see it. Had they not been sure about his intentions before, they were now.

Ozai caught up enough to grab Azula’s wrist. She screams in pain, trying to jerk away from him, but he only holds on tighter. 

Somewhere in the palace, Ursa and Iroh were having tea together. Then they hear the scream. Without a second’s deliberation, they both get up and run in the direction of it.

Zuko yells at Ozai to let go of her and kicks him. He stumbles back, shocked that his weakling of a son would have the courage to stand against him, but he regains his sense faster than Zuko does. He thrusts his hand out towards Zuko’s face. The flames make contact, and Zuko also screams, stumbling back as Ozai had. Azula tugs on him, hard, and together they run away from their father. Echoing laughter follows them.

Three turns and a long hallway later, they run into Ursa and Iroh. Zuko yells again, for he had hit his eye, and the adults stare in shock.

“What-what _happened?_ ” Ursa finds her voice first, horrified. Tears well up in Azula’s eyes.

“Father tried to- he tried to-“ Zuko swallows thickly. 

“He tried to kill us,” Azula finishes, her voice raspy and no louder than a whisper. Zuko nods, eyes screwed up in pain.

Ursa stares at them for a moment. Zuko clutches his eye with one hand, and he was still holding his sister’s hand. Azula holds her wrist close to her chest, the fabric near it singed and the burn clearly visible. It takes less than a second for her to make a decision.

“We’re leaving. I will not allow my children to be hurt by that _man_ any more. Will you help?” she says, directing her last comment towards Iroh. He agrees without hesitation, a determined expression on his face.

“Come, my niece and nephew. It is time for us to say goodbye to this place.” The children smile weakly in thanks.

Thirty minutes and a stolen boat later, the four of them sail out in the dead of the night with nowhere to go. But they’re away from the palace, and that’s all that matters. No one noticed the dark figure in a window far above them, watching.

｡ . . . ｡ . . . ｡ . . . ｡

Ozai makes his way towards the throne room with a smug grin. He had called for another audience, so Azulon is already there, waiting for him. Ozai kneels before his father.

“Father, I have thought about what you said two weeks ago, and I had decided to leave the throne to Iroh. You were right when you said he should not be put through any more suffering.” He raises his head and locks eyes with Azulon, a grave expression on his face. “However, last night I was making my way back from a late night at the library, when I saw a boat leaving the palace. Upon closer inspection, I saw Iroh standing on top.” Ozai drops his head again. “It must pain you to hear this, but I believe Iroh has run away again.”

Azulon narrows his eyes. He does not like where this is going.

“Furthermore, when I went to find my children and wife this morning, they were missing. Having asked around, it is clear that no one has seen them since last night. I believe that Iroh has taken them with him.”

At that, Azulon’s eyes widen the tiniest bit. “Are you sure,” he says.

“I am sure that they are not here, father.”

Azulon scrutinizes him, trying to find any sign that he was lying. When he finds none, he sighs. “Very well. We shall wait three days for Iroh to either return or send a letter. If neither of these things happen, then you will be next in line for the throne.” 

Ozai stands and bows, concealing his smirk. “Yes, father.”

Three days passed and no word was sent. Ozai was made crown prince.

Three days after that, Azulon was found dead in his chambers, and Ozai was crowned Fire Lord.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think, and I always enjoy different ideas to think about and possibly add in. I find that I run out of steam quickly, so new ideas definitely help! Thanks again!


	2. Ursa, The Southern Water Tribe Would Like To Adopt Your Children

Ursa watches as her children sit across from each other, playing pai sho. She’s not sure when Iroh had the time to store the game on the ship, but they seem relaxed and they’re playing well together, so she doesn’t worry about it. She has a guess as to why they got along better now, but she doesn’t want to ask. She’s not sure if she could handle the truth. One thing’s for sure, though: she shouldn’t have accepted it as a blessing so quickly.

Iroh comes up to her. “Ursa, how are you?” he asks gently.

She turns to face him. “I’m alright, I think.” She smiles faintly. “As long as I’m away from him, I’ll be alright.”

Iroh nods, his face solemn. “I understand.” He turns to her and bows. “Let me express how deeply sorry I am for all the pain my family has caused you.”

She can't stand that sad look on his face, so she hugs him tightly. “Iroh, you have no need to apologize. Your presence in that family always gave me hope.” She draws away, smiling. Iroh smiles back.

Ursa turns her gaze to her children once again. “Where are we going?” she asks.

“I believe the Southern Water Tribe is our safest bet, as it is farthest away and they will be expecting us to be somewhere fortified,” he says. “Why do you ask?”

“I’ve been thinking that I might reach out to an old... friend,” she says slowly. Iroh looks at her, understanding and amusement apparent on his face.

“You wish to see your old fiancé,” he states. Ursa starts and stares at him, then nods.

“But I don’t wish to leave Zuko and Azula. I know they have you, but-”

“We’ll be fine, mom,” Zuko interrupts. While Ursa and Iroh had been talking, the children had listened and snuck up on them. Azula punched his arm for ruining their surprise, but secretly, she agreed. She would like mom to be around more, but if the question was whether or not they could take care of themselves, the answer was a resounding yes.

Ursa jumps slightly and turns to her children. “Are you sure?” she frets.

Azula nods confidently, as if the matter was already decided. Zuko spoke again. “You should find your old life. Azula and I will be waiting for you.” Azula grins. Zuko is more sullen than his sister, but his unbandaged eye shone with a determined light. 

Ursa feels a wave of sadness come over her as she looks at her son. The last time she wasn't with them, both of her children got hurt. She didn't want that to happen again. Iroh must have sensed her dilemma and put an hand on her shoulder.

She mentally shakes herself and smiles at her children. “Thank you, dears. I don’t know how long I will be, though.”

“Zuzu _just_ said we’d be waiting for you, mom.” Azula rolls her eyes, somehow coming off as both patronizing and reassuring. “That means we’ll wait as long as necessary. But don’t be too long!” she tacks on at the end.

Ursa laughs, bright and clear. Azula hadn’t changed, not really, she realizes. She simply knew a little more about what it is she wants - namely, love. Ursa knew she couldn't make up for all the years Ozai had taken Azula from her and vice versa, but she'd be damned if she didn't try. Her daughter would live a happy life, she would make sure of it.

“Then I will find him, and I’ll come to the Southern Water Tribe with him. You can meet him then,” she answers her daughter. Azula brightens.

“You promise to come back?” Zuko asks, pleading. Ursa smiles once more.

“Of course,” she says softly, “I promise.”

“Come to us if there is any trouble, Lady Ursa. I do not want you getting hurt.”

Ursa dips her head toward Iroh, serious now. “Of course.” She turns back. "I will see you again, my dear children."

｡ . . . ｡ . . . ｡ . . . ｡

They arrive at the tribe two weeks later. Iroh runs the ship into the ice, and together the three of them get off. The first thing they notice is how cold it is. The second thing they notice is that there are several men racing towards them. Iroh pulls Zuko and Azula to his side.

The man in front levels a spear at them. “What do you want with our tribe?” he inquires, a hard edge to his voice. Iroh closes his eyes and raises his hands in surrender, and, after a moment, Zuko and Azula follow suit. Confusion flits across the man’s face. 

“We mean no harm. We simply seek shelter. If you refuse, we will leave quietly,” Iroh says calmly. He opens his eyes and makes eye contact with the man. “I know how much the Fire Nation has harmed you and your village. You have every right to be angry. I only ask that you hear us before turning us away.”

The man, Hakoda, stares at them, slowly lowering his spear. He takes note of the bandages on the children, of the singed sleeve of the girl and the burnt hair of the boy, and of their clothes. He may not know much about Fire Nation fashion, but he knew that these were not military uniforms. In fact, they looked more like fancy sleepwear. It was clear that these people had been hurt, and, from the looks of it, they were running away from the Fire Nation. He's not going to turn them away if they need help. He nods sharply.

“Very well. You will come with me, and I will hear your story. Bato,” he addresses one of his men, “you will come with me. Everyone else, go back to the village and keep an eye out for enemy ships.” They follow his orders without a word.

Iroh watches this and says, “Am I right in assuming that you are the chief?” Hakoda nods and gestures for them to follow. They walk through the tiny village, curious and apprehensive gazes following them from every angle. The chief leads them into the largest house in the village, and they sit down around a table in a rather small room - well, small by their standards. Being royalty, they were used to much bigger spaces.

“Begin your story.”

Iroh inclines his head and tells them everything. He tells them how his son had died at the siege on Ba Sing Se, and how that helped him realize that the war was wrong. He tells them of their lineage. He tells them how the children were injured, and at this they jump in: Azula talks about the conversation between Ozai and Azulon in a shaky voice. Zuko quietly talks about the next two weeks, how fearful they were, in an equally shaky voice. Iroh places his hands on their shoulders and takes over for them, talking about the night he came back and how Ozai had burned his own children. Said children flinch at this, clinging to him. He finishes with how they escaped and came here.

Bato and Hakoda stare in silent shock, and Azula and Zuko shift uncomfortably. This feels a lot like waiting for judgement at a trial, only now, they're the ones being judged. Gathering himself, Hakoda says, “That was certainly not what I was expecting to hear.” The tension eases slightly.

Hakoda falls silent for a moment, observing them. Every reaction checks out, and by the age of the children, he suspects it would be hard to orchestrate that. He sighs.

“I’m assuming you’re firebenders?” he asks. Iroh dips his head. Hakoda sighs again.

“...There are raids on this village every so often. Should one come, will you help us? Or will you run away again?”

Iroh hesitates. “...I will help, but know that us being recognized would spell much more disaster for your village.” Hakoda nods, acknowledging this. Iroh continues. “Then you have my word. Should a raid come, I will do my best to aid this village, but my priority is to keep these two safe. I will not endanger them.” He hadn’t meant to speak with that amount of vehemence, but, luckily, Hakoda understands. He knows what it's like to want to keep your family safe at all costs.

“Very well. You may stay, but you will be staying with me so that I can keep an eye on you. I don’t want trouble in my village.”

Iroh smiles and bows. “I understand. Thank you very much.”

Hakoda turns to Bato. “Tell the village that they will be staying, and that they will be treated as one would treat a tribe member.” Bato nods, then turns to the trio and smiles.

“Don’t cause troubles for my best bud, you hear?” he says. Iroh chuckles. Zuko and Azula relax upon hearing that. They aren’t entirely sure what had just happened, but if Uncle’s laughing, then everything’s okay, right?

Hakoda stands up. “Allow me to introduce you to my family,” he says, walking towards a door they hadn’t noticed upon entering. They follow him. In the next room sits a beautiful woman doing the hair of a little girl about Azula's age. A boy stands in the center of the room, swinging his toy club. They hear the door open and look up. The firebenders file into the room, anxious as to what reaction they were going to get.

As it turns out, their worries were unfounded. The boy and girl, siblings, presumably, run forward and excitedly introduce themselves. 

“Hi! I’m Katara, and this is my brother, Sokka.”

“We didn’t hear much of your conversation ‘cause mom says it’s rude to eavesdrop, but we heard that you guys are firebenders and that you’re running away from the fire nation. Is that true?” the boy, Sokka, cuts her off. Katara glares at her brother.

Zuko nods. “I’m Zuko, and this is my sister Azula and our uncle Iroh. It’s nice to meet you,” he says quietly. The water tribe siblings beam.

Their mother comes forward. “Sorry if these two are bothering you. I’m Kya, Hakoda’s wife and mother to these two rascals.” Said rascals giggle. Zuko and Azula immediately take a liking to Kya. She reminds them of their mother.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Zuko says softly, and he means it. Kya smiles at them, then frowns when she sees what they’re wearing.

“Oh dear, you all must be cold. Let’s get you some warmer clothing.” She turns to her children. “Can you two get some of your clothes for Azula and Zuko here?” They nod and scamper away. Kya turns back to Iroh. “And I’m sure Hakoda has some clothes that should fit you, dear Iroh.” Iroh bows in thanks.

Katara and Sokka come back with their clothes. “Here you go! I hope they fit you!” Katara says, handing her pile to Azula. Sokka does the same with Zuko.

“Thank you. Where can we change?” Zuko asks. Kya points at another door. Zuko bows as well, then turns to Azula. “Come on, let’s go.” 

"I know, Zuzu, I'm not an idiot." Zuko sighs fondly and walks towards the door. She sticks her tongue out at him and follows.

“We were just about to have dinner,” Kya says, “so you all have perfect timing.” Iroh chuckles.

“It’s a special talent of mine,” he answers jovially. Kya joins him in his laughter.

Once the three firebenders had all changed into the warm water tribe clothing, they joined the other family for dinner. Iroh insists that they help a little, since they would be staying with them for a while. Azula pouts when Iroh makes her set the table with Sokka.

Once everything’s ready, they all sit down and dig in - that is, except for Azula. She picks at her food with a disgruntled expression.

“Azula, what’s wrong?” Iroh asks. She looks up.

“It looks weird,” she says petulantly. 

“‘Zula, be nice!” Zuko reprimands her before anyone else could say anything. Kya smothers her laughter behind her hand, and Hakoda shakes his head fondly. No matter what nation they’re from, it seems kids will be kids. They’re already starting to grow on them.

Sokka does not think the same. “Hey! I’ll have you know that seal jerky is the best food there is.” Katara shushes him. “Don’t shush me, you know it’s true!” Everyone laughs at that, and for the first time since getting burned, Zuko finds himself truly smiling. If every day was like this, then he could get used to it.

Once they finished dinner, it was time to sleep. Zuko insists that he and Azula sleep in the same room, and, although she didn't say anything, it’s clear that Azula wants to be with her brother. Aside from Sokka, who said it was weird for boys and girls to share a room, no one has a problem with this, so Zuko and Azula end up with Katara’s old bedroom while Katara moves into her brother’s room. Iroh was given the guest room. Perks of being a chief, they suppose as they settle in for the night. They were more relaxed than they had been in weeks, possibly their whole lives, and they couldn’t be happier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I hope you enjoyed reading this, and let me know what you think! Comment and kudos mean the world :D


	3. Blue Spirit Debuts

The three firebenders settle in quickly. Zuko, who had always been looked down upon by his father, revels in the praise given to him by Hakoda, Kya, and Iroh. He’s never felt so happy before. A week after taking off the bandage on his eye, he asks Hakoda if he can go on a hunting trip. Hakoda relents after seeing the pleading look in his eye. After that, he became a fan favorite to hunt with, as he was remarkably patient for an eleven-year old, and he had an uncanny ability to know exactly where prey was even without any training in tracking. He also found that he quite likes seal jerky, which prompted Sokka to declare him his favorite person, to the amusement of the adults.

Azula was still a bit spoiled, but she was learning fast. In one month, she had received more hugs from Zuko and everyone else than she had in her entire life. She found that she does enjoy cooking, but she would always complain that she couldn’t go hunting with the boys. Sokka had said that girls couldn’t hunt when he first heard this, and he ended up with the ends of his hair burned off. The action prompted Hakoda to take Azula with him, and so she went, but she ended up scaring off all the prey by complaining that it was taking too long. They came back to the village rather quickly. Since then, Azula hasn’t asked to go on a trip once, and Sokka refused to talk to her for the next month. He likes his hair, thank you very much.

Iroh continued their firebending training. The first thing he did was teach them an old airbending breath trick to keep their bodies warm even when it was freezing outside. It was at this point that the siblings truly grasped how lucky they were to have Iroh as their uncle. They had never seen any use for moves other than firebending ones, so they had always wondered why Iroh bothered to learn anything about them at all. But they were eternally grateful for the fact that they could keep themselves warm.

Iroh also taught Katara the little things he knew about waterbending. He was no master, being a firebender, but he showed her small tricks he had picked up here and there. Katara subsequently declared Iroh as her favorite person. This was met by full-blown, good-natured laughter by the adults, while Zuko sits in the back, nodding with a smug grin on his face.

One month after their arrival, their loyalty was put to the test. There was a raid on the village by the fire navy. True to his word, Iroh helped them repel the attack. He knocked out a soldier and donned his helmet to hide his face, then turned and ran towards the nearest ship. Once he was sure he was out of sight, he sent a well-aimed fire ball toward where he believes the engine room is. The side of the ship explodes, and he grins in triumph.

Zuko and Azula were in their house with Iroh when they first heard the telltale sounds of fighting. Iroh rushes out, telling the two of them to stay put. Azula protests at first, but she catches sight of the unusually grave expression on her uncle’s face. She falls silent and nods. Kya had heard their conversation, so she tells them to hide in their rooms. The siblings glance at each other. They would hide in the house, sure. But they needed to have at least some idea of what was going on outside, and they couldn’t get that by hiding at the very back of the house. So, in one swift movement, they run and leap over the sofa, crouching behind it. No sooner had they gotten down when a man burst through the door. 

“Where is the waterbender in this tribe?” he demands, towering over Kya, who had fallen to her knees. Before she has a chance to speak, however, Katara comes in.

“Mom?” she says. Everyone’s attention snaps to her.

“I’m alright, sweetheart, now go find your father,” Kya says gently. Zuko tenses. He’s not sure what it is, but something in her voice tells him that she’s in trouble. Glancing at Azula, he finds her already looking at him with wide eyes. She must sense it too.

They turn their attention back to the man as he says, “Where is the waterbender!”

“There are no waterbenders! The Fire Nation killed them all in the last raid,” Kya says. Zuko can tell she’s barely holding back tears.

“Wrong! Our sources tell us that there is one waterbender left in this…” He waves his hand around. “Village,” he finishes, sneering. Zuko really wants to smack the expression right off his face. Possibly with a chair, for he was going to hurt Kya. Another quick glance at Azula shows she feels the same.

“And trust me, I will burn this village down just to find them.”

Kya bows her head. “If I tell you, will you promise to leave this village alone?” she asks quietly. The man grins evilly and nods. Kya opens her mouth, to say what, Zuko doesn’t know, but he doesn’t give the man a chance to hear it. He whacks him in the back of the head with the blunt end of his spear with as much force as his tiny arms could muster. The man falls forward, startled.

When Zuko and Azula had run away that fateful day, each member of their party had grabbed something precious of theirs. Iroh had taken his pai sho game, as the kids already knew, but Zuko didn’t know what the ladies had taken. What he did know, however, was that he was very grateful he grabbed his mother’s blue spirit mask. He stands in front of the man with the mask on, spear pointed directly at his chest. Azula, with her hood pulled up and face turned down, had grabbed the man’s hands and pulled them behind his back. The soldier might have been able to break free of her weak grip, but after a moment’s shock, Kya adds her strength, and together they bring him to his knees.

“Leave this village alone.” Zuko speaks in the deepest voice he can muster, and his voice is distorted by the mask. The effects make him sound much older than he is.

“And why would I do that?” the man inquires, a smug grin on his face. For a moment, Zuko freezes. Is this going to work? Then Azula looks him directly in the eye and nods slightly.

He’s not sure when he and his sister got so good at reading each other, but it’s another thing he’ll always be grateful for, especially in these types of situations. To anyone else, that nod could mean anything, but to him, it means that whatever he's doing is working. The man is afraid. 

Zuko points the spear directly at the man’s throat. “You will listen to what I say,” he practically growls. Guess if there’s one thing Ozai’s good for, it’s teaching how to intimidate people. Zuko didn’t spend his entire childhood watching him in fear for nothing.

The man swallows and nods imperceptibly, all traces of smugness gone. Zuko smirks behind the mask. “You will leave this village, and you will take your troops with you, saying that you have killed the last waterbender. If you do not, make no mistake, I will hear about it.” He grins ferally and leans closer, and though the soldier can’t see his face, he shivers anyway. Something about the aura around him gave him the creeps. “Is that understood?” Zuko says silkily. The man nods.

“Good. Leave, now.” Zuko steps back, and, after a moment’s hesitation, Kya and Azula release his arms. He stumbles in his haste to get out the door.

The three of them look out the door to see a plume of smoke. They're eyes follow it to its source: a part-way sunken ship. Next to it are two other functioning ones loading soldiers onto them. Not five minutes later, they had disappeared into the night, and everyone let out a breath of relief.

Zuko collapses on the ground and pulls the mask off his head. “That was fun,” he says weakly. Why he thought pulling that stunt was a good idea, he’ll never know. He had been shaking the whole time, scared he might not pull it off. Azula kneels next to him and laughs lightly, concern pinching her forehead.

“Are you alright, Zuko dear?” Kya asks. Zuko gives a thumbs-up from his spot on the ground.

“‘M great,” he mumbles, staring blankly at the sky. “Jus’ need to take a second. Haven’t done that before.” Azula laughs again, louder this time. Sarcasm meant he was okay.

Kya chuckles. “Alright, dear. At least lay down inside, won’t you?” Zuko gives another thumbs-up before he hauls himself up and traipses into the house. Azula follows him at his heels. Kya chuckles again. The two of them are something special, she thinks.

Since then, Zuko and Iroh both became heroes to the village. Azula was upset at first - shouldn’t she be praised too? She did help, after all - But she couldn’t help but be proud of her older brother, and the jealousy soon dissipated. She decided he deserved to be celebrated a little bit, and soon she was the one telling and embellishing the tale of how the Blue Spirit had saved the Southern Water Tribe. It was definitely a fan favorite.

No one in the tribe doubted them any longer. Kya had always been protective of the children, but now her quiet support turned into quiet vehemence, turned against anyone who spoke negatively about her children. That, combined with the half-sunken fire navy ship sitting in the waters just off the coast, convinced everyone in the tribe that these people were loyal no longer to the Fire Nation. A small celebration was held to officially welcome the three of them into the tribe. 

Zuko and Azula didn’t stop smiling for a week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! Only one more chapter before the avatar comes into play.


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